Mohanad Saloum, Assistant Professor of International Politics and Security at the Doha Graduate School, believes that while Iran's announcement of lifting missile range restrictions is worrying for European governments, it is not yet enough to cause panic. He explains that missiles need to fly long distances to reach the European continent or the UK, giving NATO members with military equipment deployed in the region time to warn and intercept them.
He argues that threatening Europe is not in Iran's interest because European governments have not supported the war launched by Trump and have continued to push for a diplomatic solution despite the heavy cost of rising energy costs. However, he warns that the situation could change if Iran is defined as an international security threat, and threatening Europe could prompt countries that were initially pushing for a diplomatic solution to hardline their stance, harming Iranian interests.
He adds that lifting the range restrictions indicates that Tehran "now sees this conflict as a matter of life and death." He believes this is what the entire region should be worried about. "When Iran feels that it has no other choice but to face certain death... they might do anything. At that point, there will be no more red lines."
